vintage pics of african americans

That's a wonderful picture of Josephine Baker! Thank you

I didn't see this till now. How sweet!

dmoran227 said:

Thanks for the photo of Lena Horne and Bo Jangles. I love classic films and the fact my baby can watch with me without me having to have remote in hand for speedy fastforwarding. She loves them and always remarks how beautiful all the ladies seem to be. Her absolute hands down favorite is Stormy Weather which I believe that photo is a promo for. She suggests it every other time we watch movies I can't wait to show her this.

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I'm currently reading "Compacts and Cosmetics" by Madeleine Marsh (I'm absolutely smitten!) and stumbled upon something I hadn't heard before:

"Dancer Josephine Baker, 'The Black Pearl', 'The Panther with the golden claws', left America for Paris to star in La Revue Negre in 1925.[...] Baker showed the french that black was beautiful and took Paris by storm. Admirers showered her with expensive gifts and she received a reported 1,500 marriage proposals. Men wanted to sleep with her and women wanted to look like her - slicking down their hair with 'Bakerfix' brillantine and darkening their skin with tinted powder and cream to look like 'the black Venus'."


1931 French ad for brown face cream feat the fashionable dark face.

Already in 1923 english Vogue commented on the recent French winter fashion for brown face make-up.

Did any of you know about this? I think it's fascinating!

cherry lips said:

I didn't see this till now. How sweet!


I'm currently reading "Compacts and Cosmetics" by Madeleine Marsh (I'm absolutely smitten!) and stumbled upon something I hadn't heard before:

"Dancer Josephine Baker, 'The Black Pearl', 'The Panther with the golden claws', left America for Paris to star in La Revue Negre in 1925.[...] Baker showed the french that black was beautiful and took Paris by storm. Admirers showered her with expensive gifts and she received a reported 1,500 marriage proposals. Men wanted to sleep with her and women wanted to look like her - slicking down their hair with 'Bakerfix' brillantine and darkening their skin with tinted powder and cream to look like 'the black Venus'."

1931 French ad for brown face cream feat the fashionable dark face.

Already in 1923 english Vogue commented on the recent French winter fashion for brown face make-up.

Did any of you know about this? I think it's fascinating!

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The picture of the woman on the advertisement looks creepy. People should just be happy with the skin they were born in, period.

When I went to see Stormy Weather in Feb they was a slide show with tons f amazing photos and clips from the 1940's. They woman who created it was going to e-mail me a copy but I never heard from her.

I had no idea the C.J Walker Company was founded in Indianapolis. The factory building is now a theater. The Indianapolis Historical Society has many photos pertaining to her and the beauty schools the company was involved with here are a couple.

Here is a picture of a friend of mine's grandfather (on the left) and father (on the right). They were prominent physicians in Natchez, MS. I wish I could post a pic of her right now because she is the spitting image of her father! The grandfather was an acquaintance of Madam CJ Walker.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe the Godmother of Rock n' Roll.

There is a wonderful site with tons of pictures: http://vintageblackglamour.tumblr.com/

Love this thread.